Chapter 7: The Secret Before Me
The safety deposit box was at a small bank downtown.
I went there two days after leaving the hospital.
Lily was asleep against my chest in her carrier.
Michael walked beside me.
Neither of us spoke much.
I was afraid of what I might find.
A secret could be anything.
A hidden debt.
A forgotten relationship.
A mistake.
Something that would change the way I remembered Daniel.
The bank manager unlocked the box and handed it to me.
“Take your time.””
I carried it to the private room.
My hands shook as I opened it.
Inside were several envelopes.
Photos.
A small notebook.
And one letter with my name written on it.
*Claire.*
Just seeing his handwriting made my chest hurt.
I opened it.
If you’re reading this, then our daughter is finally here.
I stopped.
My vision blurred.
I wish I was there to see your face when you hold her.
I pressed the letter to my lips.
Michael quietly stepped away.
I kept reading.
There is something I never told you. Not because I didn’t trust you. Because I wanted to protect the life we were building.
My heart raced.
Before I met you, I made mistakes. I trusted the wrong people. And one of those mistakes almost cost me everything.
I looked at Michael.
“What does this mean?””
He lowered his eyes.
“Keep reading.””
The letter continued.
Years before we married, I invested in a company with a friend. When it failed, he blamed me. He spent years trying to damage my reputation.
I frowned.
A company?
I remembered Daniel mentioning business problems before.
But he always told me it was handled.
His name is Victor Hale.
The name meant nothing to me.
At least not yet.
If anything happens to me, I need you to know he may try to use my past against you.
My fingers tightened around the paper.
Why?
Because Victor knows about Lily.
I stopped breathing.
I read the sentence again.
He knows about our daughter.
“Michael.””
He looked at me.
“What is it?””
I handed him the letter.
His expression darkened.
“He knew.””
“Who is Victor?””
Michael sighed.
“Someone Daniel used to trust.””
I looked at Lily.
“How does he know about her?””
Michael sat down.
“Because Victor was involved in the fertility company.””
My stomach dropped.
“What?””
“He had access to information.””
“That’s illegal.””
“Yes.””
I looked back at the letter.
Daniel had known.
He had known someone might come after us.
My family wasn’t the only threat.
There was something bigger.
I kept searching through the box.
At the bottom was a folder.
Inside were emails.
Legal documents.
And a photograph.
The photograph showed Daniel standing with a man I had never met.
Victor.
On the back, Daniel had written:
*The man who smiles when he lies.*
I felt a chill.
My phone suddenly rang.
James.
I answered.
“Hello?””
“Claire, where are you?””
“At the bank.””
There was a pause.
“Did you open Daniel’s box?””
“Yes.””
His voice changed.
“Then you need to listen carefully.””
“What happened?””
“We received a new legal filing.””
My heart sank.
“From my parents?””
“No.””
“Then who?””
James hesitated.
“Victor Hale.””
The room seemed to tilt.
“Who is he?””
James took a breath.
“Someone claiming he has evidence that Daniel’s estate was built through fraud.””
I looked at the photo in my hand.
The smiling man.
The man Daniel warned me about.
“What does he want?””
May you like
James’ answer was quiet.
“He wants custody rights over Lily.””
